Synonyms of grunting

grunting 1 of 2

noun

as in muttering

speech that is not clear enough to be understood

says he talks in his sleep, but really it's just snorts and grunting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• muttering
• grunt
• mutter
• whisper
• murmuring
• mumble
• murmur
• chattering
• rumor
• chatter
• babbling
• jabbering
• babble
• gabbling
• jabber
• prattle
• gabble
• prattling
• maundering
• undertone
• rambling
• driveling
• drivel
• blabbing
• blab

grunting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of grunt

as in mumbling

to speak softly and unclearly

was so absorbed with the video game that when asked what he wanted for dinner, he just grunted

Synonyms & Similar Words

• muttering
• mumbling
• murmuring
• whispering
• mouthing
• chuntering
• panting
• gasping
• gibbering
• jabbering
• breathing
• chattering
• babbling
• prattling
• gabbling
• blabbing
• rambling
• driveling
• buzzing
• maundering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• speaking out
• articulating
• speaking up
• enunciating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of grunting

Noun

By pulling this string, the locals made an amplified grunting noise similar to that of a jaguar. — Delbert L. Chears, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026

Verb

Roaring and grunting, his body sleek with blood and sweat, Conan tussles and grapples with a series of opponents, dominating them all, while an audience of torch-wielding vulgarians shouts and howls at the pit’s lip. — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 June 2026

Once their tray was stuffed with Terry Black’s brisket, pork ribs, dino ribs, sausage and turkey, Heder and Ramirez both carried the tray off the table, grunting. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026

Immediately as Silva got out of his SUV, he was shot in the hand and soon after in the head, grunting and groaning in pain as blood spatter suddenly appeared on his uniform sleeve. — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026

Planet Fitness once made a point of banning denim in the gym, along with grunting, dropping dumbbells, and judging others. — Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026

Vile — lots of climbing, groping, grabbing, grunting and dirt. — Linda Perillo, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026

People are well outnumbered by the humpbacks and pods of orcas, bald eagles and herons, seals and sea lions grunting their tone-deaf tunes atop the rocks. — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 2025

There are up to 20,000 rabid people raining down their emotions from all angles, a dozen sticks clattering, two dozen skates carving, all those burly bodies bumping into each other and banging into the boards, plus an endless stream of screaming and grunting and cursing. — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

The red hind grouper (Epinephelus guttatus) is big on grunting. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025